The Warriors continue to study the ways of trade Kristaps Porzingis‘s contract, even after a 7’3″ big man that he is retiring from basketball, Marc Stein and Jake Fisher report in their latest issue of The Stein Line (subscriber link).
Golden State would prefer to move the deal to Dec. 16, according to Stein, and hopes his partially guaranteed contract for next season, along with a willingness to discuss a buyout, could be financially attractive to potential trade partners. Dec. 16 is considered a key date because it’s the last day the Warriors can add someone via trade and re-unite their contract in another deal until Feb. 11.
The Warriors do have an option to buy out Porzingis, an avenue they may consider if teams insist Golden State add draft picks to sweeten the deal. The team has not ruled out using draft capital in a deal, but they will be cautious about which players returning to them will be worth such a move, according to Stein.
He also notes that the team is unlikely to move Moses Moody in any midseason trade as they still expect him to make an impact when he returns from injury.
We have more from Stein’s latest newsletter:
- The The necklaces surprised many in the league trade Nick Clifford to the Thunder for two second-round picks, Stein says, but had several suitors eager to acquire him after it appeared his control of a rotation spot was beginning to wane. The and all reported trade interest, but the Thunder’s reward of quality second-round picks, along with their ability to absorb Clifford on the trade exception, thereby moving the Kings more than $6 million from the luxury tax line, proved too much for other teams. Before the trade, the Kings didn’t have a second-round pick for the next seven years. Thunder used an exception that was created when they traded By hawks, according to Fisher (via Twitter).
- The The necklaces currently have 13 spots on the roster and will be looking to fill the 14th. One player being considered for the spot is a free agent point guard . After the deal, they have the option to sign him without the luxury tax if they choose to go that route. The 30-year-old guard played for the Lakers and Hawks last season, averaging 4.4 points in 16.6 minutes per game between the two teams.
- The necklaces showed interest in eating cut out Bucks in mid-October. If the Kings decide to go in a different direction, Porter is expected to draw interest from other teams, including Trail Blazers and Heat. Portland already has a solid defense, making them an unlikely suitor. Porter has experience playing with the Heat star Janis Antecumpaand the team could have more possession, but their financial situation makes this move difficult.
- Jeremy Sochan refused offers to play overseas in favor of a deal with the G League MavericksThe affiliate, Texas Legends, is his longtime relationship with the Mavs GM Mike SchmitzStein learned in an interview with the 23-year-old forward. Sochan, who won a ring with the Knicks last season, hopes to carry a strong performance with the Legends into an NBA call-up.
- The Predators signed to a two-way trade on Thursday, but before doing so, they considered using the two-way opener as a point guard Hornets in September after being included in a deal that sent Buddy Hield